St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-08-13


years old-that is, in his prime-wher
| entered his cage for the first time
That was down at Lyons, in Septem
Der, 1876. The previous day he had
| killed man called Nicard, and my
performance was given in favor OF
Vicard's widow and orphan. Nicard
| foolish enough to put his hand into the
| lions travelling box at the station
Sultan had just arrived from Africa
Sultan seized his arm and tore it off
| bodily The man died the same night
| Before twenty four hours had elapsed |
had entirely subjugated this man-killer
l worked regularly with him twice
day for ten years. 1t was just
wear ago that he attacked me and nearly
killed me. l was suffering from rheu,
matte pains that day and happened to
slip. A lion-t tanner must never fall. Lions
have not your English notions about
respecting fallen foe. The brute was
on me like a shot, and got me by the
neck. | caught him by the throat and
| shouted, Sultan Sultan what are you
doing" Myvoice frigl ened him, doubt
less, for he opened his jaws and loosened
his hold without tearing out the flesh.
| If he had done that | should inevi-
tably have been killed. He then
seized me by the arm and afterward
| by the thigh, Wounding me besides
with his claws in three other places.
| managed however. in spite Of my
terrible wounds, to struggle to my
! feet, and once on my feet was master of
him. Since then, however, have not
entered the cages | have been terribly
shaken and reduced in strength. 1t will
be some time before shall have sufficient
nerve to approach Sultan once more.
No do not believe in that nonsense
that is talked about it being impossible
| to do anythingaw:th animals which
have tasted human blood or have seen
it. If did, should have retired from
business long ago. | have been bitten
and torn over and over again, and have
often continued my performance, with
my blood streaming all over me. The
| brutes appreciate my courage and are
afraid of me, because they see that | am
not afraid of them. That is the whole
secret of liontamins."
do YOU believe in the power of the
eve: There is man at the Folies-Ber
ceres who processes to tame lions by the
power of fasCinatiOn-me W hat
is your opinion of this profes>ion;"
Il consider it char atanism of the
purest water. The All mails are doubt
less tame brutes, born in the cage. | do
not believe in the power of the eye. \
blind man could be as good lion-tamer,
if he had the requis te pluck, as any
other man. | myself am shortsighted
queling eyes"
conflict with Sultan" NJ Bidel went on
turning his head round and disclosing
beneath the hair on his neck a most
formidable cicatrice, half a foot long.
That is one have ten other such on
my body"
NO" he continued, II do not believe
in fascination. The voice, the tone of
command, is great-the principal-in-
strument in liontaming. Articulate
sounds seem to amaze them"
You are immensely strong, NJ.
Bidel?'
Il used to be-" he replied, modestly.
II have told you what l did at Bayonne
when a lad At Madrid once pursued a
lion that had got loose for thirty min
utes, caught him single handed, and held
him till my men brought up bis cage,
into which l threw him. Well, yes,
was slightly damaged. At one time
one of the great hits of my performance
was to pick up a full-sized lion on my
shoulders, and to carry him round the
cage three times. The lion weighed 440
pounds. | am not so strong now. Sui
tan knocked it out Of me considerably
No | follow no part cular regiment train
ing, you call it-and never have done so.
| avoid excuses of all kinds, especially
of strong drink, and that is all"
you sometimes take amateurs into
the cage with you, do you not ?"
"Frequently. Ladies usually. Women
are much more courageous than men.
A woman who has once offered to enter
never draws back. Men frequently do.
Women are far nobler and more intelli.
gent than men. That is obvious; they
take much less alcohol. They certainly
ought to be allowed to vote. The first
woman who entered the cage with me
rietes Theatre. That was in Paris in
1874. All the brutes in my show were
collected in the cage. In 1879 Made
uOlScl1c hOuSSell, tragic dCtleSs, dloo az
companied me and, surrounded by all
my lions, recited 'Melpomene.' In 1879
Mademoiselle jesse, of Cherbourg, and
in 1880 Mr. Crockford of Dieppe, an
English shipowner, repeated the expert
ment. My guests tremble good deal
outside the door, but once inside the
cage seem to master their emotion.
The women always show more pluck
you must have heavy expenses y
Eyes Icalculate my expenses in Paris
at about 50, 400 month"; and it is at Paris
we spend least The expenses include
food for the beasts, rent for space, and
the tax on entertainments which goes to
the public assistance office. use one
horse a day to feed my animals. We
give them beef twice a week. One day
in the month they fast. A lion eats
twenty pounds of flesh per diem, and
drinks two quarts of cows milk every
morning. The Polar bears get fish oil
three times week Then there is the
loss of beasts to be considered There
is terrible mortality by consumption
among lions, and a lion is worth
from $4,000 to $4,000. The cost price of
a lion, untamed, is $4,000. That is
what I paid for Sultan, who is now
worth at least $4,000. He is the most
magnificent specimen of black named
Atlas lion in Europe You must con-
slider the capital we have to sink in our
y